Crate



April -9, 1935. F. J. KRZYZAK I 9 CRATE Filed Ju1y2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 ,1 UNITED; STAT f onn'rn g '7 Frank J. Krzy zak,Chicago,,- 111., assignor to Republic Box Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation. of Illinois Application July2, 1932, Serial No. 620,579 3Claims. (01. 217-20 ,The present invention relates to crates to be usedin transporting milk bottles and the like of the type in which there isa reticulated bottom upon portions of which bottles are support 5 edwhile other portions of the bottom brace the portions upon which thebottles are supported and give rigidity thereto.

One object of this invention resides in the improved manner of mountingthe rods upon which the bottles are mounted. i i

Another object of this invention resides in an improved method wherebythe rodswhich support the bottles may be carried by members held inrabbetedportions in the end boards of the crate instead oibeing arrangedbetween adjacent boardsi Another object of this invention resides inattaching the rodswhich support the bottle tometallic strips whichthereafter are riveted to s the end boardsof thecrate andform a strongstructure which is'preventedifrom warping and shrinking to a greatextent and in which the the novel features, arrangements, andcombinations beingclearly set forth in the accompanying claims. I

In the drawings: 7 I Fig.1 is aperspective view of a crate embody-. ingmy invention, parts thereof being'broken away and omitted 'for the sake.of clearness;

*Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the assembly of the end boardsandgrid-work forming the .bottom of the crate;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line .3e-3of Fig. 1; H Fig 4 is. a fragmentary sectional view taken just above thebottom boards of the assembled .crate; l I

Fig. 5 isa. perspective tion; 1

Fig. 6 is aview similar. to Fig. 4' of the modifications of theinvention shown in Fig. 5;- and Figs. 7 and8 are fragmentary detailviewsshowing the'details of the form of the invention shown v outersurfaceofthe crate andare provided with in Fig.6. a V

.The crate constructed according to my iIlVBIl.

tion hasfour walls, including two end walls and two side walls. The endwalls comprise thebottom endboards I3, center end boards H, and top endboards l2, the latter having handholes I 3 therein to enable one to liftthe crate. sides of thecrate comprise the bottom side boards pluralityof metal strips arrangedin crossedrelation and in rectangular formation,the ends of nailed'to the center end boards ll from the top and thebottom, whereas the strips of the lower view of the bottom or a modifiedform ofrcrate embodying my inven-.

The'

M, center side boardslfi, and top side boards [6 each superimposed upon,.each' other. Angle irons H are arranged in suitably rabbeted cor nersI8 of the end boardslli, H, and i2, and the side boards have theirendsarrangedwithin 5 the angle of the angle iron as is clearlyillustratedin Fig. 1. i a i g 'The crate has two separators, a lowerseparator IS and an upper separator 2i] each composed of a the stripsbeing nailedto the side boards and the end boards. 'As shown in thedrawings, the strips which are nailed to the end boards are separators.l9 which are attached to the side boards are attached to the bottom sideboards, and the strips of the upper separator are nailed to the centerside boards as will be seen froman inspectionof Fig.1. Dowels 2'] areinterposed between adjacent boards so as'to hold the boards in verticalalignment with each other. This invention is particularly concerned withthe bottom construction of the crate. The bot- 55 tom construction isperhaps best-illustrated in- 1 Figs. 2', 3, and i. In these figures,"22represents .metal strips or plates which extend the full length of theend boards l0 and each of-these rabbeted portion I8,- as is clearlyillustrated by dotted'lines in Fig. 3 sothat when the angle irons" 35 llare plac ed in the rabbeted portions i8, the angle irons will contactwith the surfaces of the" rabbeted portions and also withthe surface ofthe metalstops, whereby the ends of the :strips 22;

are maintained betweenthe. angle iron and the 1!) end boards. When theside bottom boards: l4 are put inplacetohold the angle irons, the bottomside boards prevent the ends of the strips22 from.

moving toward each other inthedirectionof the length ofthe crate. Thesestrips are riveted atintervals tothe crate by the rivets 25, the outerends 126 ,of whichare. counter-sunk below the V lel tothe longitudinaldimension of the. crate, 5 i

which rods support the bottles insertedin the openings providedintheseparators l9 and 20.

The ends of the rods are upset as at 29 so as to preventseparation ofthe rods 28 and strips 22. The rods 28 may be preformed with upset headsat one end; then threaded through the perforations in the off-setportions 23 of one strip; then through openings in the flanges of thechannel shaped bracing members 29, and finally through the other strip22. After this has been done, the

other endsof the rods are upset so as to retain the members Hand 33 and28 in assembled relation with respect to each other. H The channelshaped bracing members 39 are provided with ears 3! perforated toreceive fastening means. The ears 3! arearranged in the rabbetedportions 32 of the bottom side members l4, and nails are driven throughthe bottom of .the side members 14 and through the perfora tions in theears to hold the ears in place within each other slightly less than thespace between the bottom end boards when the crate is -assembled. Thestrips 22 are riveted to the end boards I8 and then after the endmembers M j and. I2 are superimposed upon the end members the ends ofthe crate are stretched in a stretching machine" to place the rods 28under tension so that they will notvibrate and so that r the tensionwill assist in supporting the bottles.

In'Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, I have shown a modified construction in whichthe rods instead of being connected to a continuous metal strip as inFigs. 1 to 4 inclusive, are connected to end plates 33 havingperforations 34 therein for the receptionof a suitable fastening meanssuch as a nail.

Theseplates are inserted in the rabbets 35 and are provided with lugs'36to limit the amount that these plates can be moved into the rabbets 3.5;After the plates have been inserted in the rabbets, the same are securedby means of nails 3.1 or the like which pass through the end boards 38and the perforations 34 in the plates 33:. Be-

. forethe plates are connected to theend boards 38-, the rods39 arepassed through perforations in the ears '40 on the strips or plates 33and hooked over as at 4| to form a loop to prevent the separations-f theplates and rods. Channel shaped bracing strips 42, similar to the strips3.9; in'Figs. 1' to 4 inclusive, are arrangedon the rods in the samemanner as in the first modification-described. After the plates 33 have.been. inserted-in the .rabbets 35 and secured in place .bylthe nails 31,and the remaining portionsof the ends of the crate are superimposed onthe membersSB; the ends are stretched the same as. previously describedand the angle irons 43 inserted inithe rabbets 44 of the end pieces, andthe bottom side pieces 45 inserted there-between as previously describedin connection with the bottomside boards I i.

can be driven'through the wood and through the manner.

Lugs 36' prevent the plates 33 from moving into the rabbets 35 more thandesired, and also act as means for gauging the'position within therabbets of'the holes 34 which are to-receive the nails so that the nailsperforations by special locating machinery or r the like. The rest ofthe crate'is formed in the same manner as described in'connection withFigs. 1 to 4 inclusiveJ In Fig. 7, I have shown a still furthermodification of the invention in which the end board is composed of twostrips 56 and 47, one of which, preferably the strip 46, has a recess 48which forms with the strip 41'an opening which .is the full equivalentof the rabbet 35 shown in Fig. 5.

r The strips M and 46 may be secured'together after-the recess 48 isformed or after the plate 33 is'in'operative position. The strips arealso of course secured to the angle irons in the usual Obviously 7 thoseinvention pertains may make various changes in the modifications of theinvention whichI have disclosed without departing from the spirit ofthis invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited except as,hereinafter set forthin the appended claims.

I claim: Y r

1. In a crate, the combination with aframe comprising side members andend members, said end members being recessed to receive the sidemembers, a metal strip secured to each end member andrunninglongitudinally of said end member from one side of said crate totheother with portions thereof arranged within said recesses and betweenthe bottom of said recess and :the

skilled in the art to which this side pieces which are arranged insaid-recess, whereby the ends of said strips'are securely held in placeandprevented from movement inthe general direction of the length of saidside pieces, said metal strips having openings therein for receivingsupporting rods, and rods arranged with their oppositeends in openingsin the strips at opposite ends of said crate.- V I V -2. In a crate,the'combination with a frame comprising; side members, and end members,said end members being recessed to receive the side members, a metalstrip secured to eachend member and running longitudinally of said, end

member from one side of said crate tothe other with portions thereofarranged within said.re. cessesand between thebottom of'said recess" andthe side pieces which are arranged in said recess, whereby the ends ofsaid strips are s'ecurely held in place and preventedfrom movement inthegeneral direction of the length of said side pieces, said metal stripshaving-open ings therein for'receiving supporting .rods, and rodsarranged with their opposite ends in openings in the strips at. oppositeends of said crate, said rods having upset ends thereon between saidstrips and said ends of said crate for retainingv said rods in operativeposition within said openlIlgS. i I

3. In a crate having side and end members, the end membersbeingformedwith' spaced recesses at their-opposed marginal edges andsaid side members having end edges received in said recesses, metalstrips extending each. along. one

of said side members, the opposed ends of each I strip being receivedeach in a recess and secured between a recessed surface of a said endmember and an end of a side member, and a'rod extending within thecratebetween and secured to the metal strips on opposite sides of'thecratei FRANK J. KRZYZAK.

